A Four-Season Stained Glass Lantern Born from a Special Connection
About a year ago, my life began to change in many ways.
I changed the way I work, started my own company, and discovered Birth Color, which opened the door to a whole new world of color for me.
Around the same time, something interesting started happening.
One connection after another seemed to lead me back to stained glass.
A neighbor gave me some stained glass tools they no longer needed.
Then, not long after that, I happened to discover a place in my town where someone had once worked with stained glass.
Curious, I decided to stop by and introduce myself.
To my surprise, I learned that the owner had not only made stained glass but had also taught stained glass classes there.
I remember thinking,
“How could someone with so much stained glass experience have been living so close to me all this time?”
With so many coincidences happening one after another, I couldn’t help but feel as though something was gently leading me in this direction.
That was the beginning of our connection.
He came to look at some of the stained glass materials I had been given, and I began showing him the pieces I was making.
We would chat, and along the way, he would share little tips with me and answer my questions about stained glass.
Then we discovered even more surprising connections.
We have exactly the same family name — even written with the same kanji.
And his wife had worked at the same place where I used to work, during the same period of time. We were in different departments and had never actually met, but it was still such an unexpected coincidence.
Of course, coincidences can simply be coincidences.
But when so many of them come together, you can’t help but wonder about the connections that bring people into our lives.
Later, as he began sorting through things at home, he kindly gave me many pieces of stained glass and tools.
Among them was this Japanese-style lantern.
The moment I saw it, I thought,
“I want to create the four seasons with this!”
Creating Even When I Wasn’t Completely Confident
At the moment, I’m still exploring what I truly want to create with stained glass.
I haven’t yet decided on one particular product or style.
And I think part of that uncertainty comes from the fact that I’m still building confidence in my stained glass skills.
So I decided to challenge myself and see what I could create with the skills I have now.
That became my four-season lantern.
Spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Each of the four small 17.5 cm panels tells a different story.
As I completed each side, I became more and more excited to see what they would look like when the lantern was finally lit.
And then, at last, all four sides were finished.
The moment I turned on the light, I thought,
“Yes. This is what I love.”
It looked completely different from when the light was off.
As the light passed through the glass, the colors came alive, and somehow the whole atmosphere around it changed.
There was a warmth to it that made me want to just sit there and keep looking at it.
I love stained glass itself, of course.
But I realized that what I love most is the special world created when color and light come together.
Bringing What You Love into Your Everyday Life
“I love these colors.”
“This kind of atmosphere makes me happy.”
“This kind of scenery makes me feel calm.”
What we love and what we are naturally drawn to is different for every person.
And that is exactly what I would like to explore through my stained glass.
Rather than simply creating what I like, I want to listen to what you love and bring your own world to life through color, glass and light.
When something is created from the things you truly love, it becomes more than just a piece of stained glass.
It becomes something personal and special to you.
Creating this lantern has helped me see a little more clearly the direction I would like to take with my work.
Maybe you have been thinking,
“I wonder if something like this could be made…”
or,
“I love these colors and this kind of atmosphere…”
You don’t need to have a finished idea in mind.
If there is something you love that you would like to see brought to life in stained glass, please feel free to get in touch.
Your “favorite things,” brought to life.
Bringing your own colors into the space you call home.